Take Back the Night
by Iggy the Strong and Free
Summary: Meet the team: Vanna, a probably-puppy faunus who needs to calm down. Oakley, the tin man team mom. Eve, who has a fetish for all things mechanical. Gideon, who smells like an ashtray but is great with a sword. And Jericho, a very, very sad boy. They are sent out on regular missions with a single purpose: to take back the night from the darkness.
1. Oakley and Eve

Oakley Alfaro was his name. No, not "that guy on the bike", or "the guy that smells like a mechanic shop", or worst of all, "that one that creaks when he moves". It was Oakley Alfaro; Atlas citizen, aspiring huntsman-in-training, and licensed first responder.

He was currently hunched forward on his sport bike. It was painted gunmetal gray, creating a sleek design alongside the similarly coloured inner mechanisms that showed through. He hit the clutch and shifted gears, feeling the familiar momentary lull before the bike shot forward. Half leaning, half steering, he drew a serpentine path through downtown Vale. He went around cars and buses, but none very dangerously. Despite the stereotype behind a motorbike owner, he wasn't that risky. He wore a silver helmet and proper protection to be riding, and never once surpassed the speed limit.

With his efficient technique, he made good time. He was out of downtown Vale by noon and would be on Hope Highway after lunch. Of course, the real highway was probably called something boring like Seaside Drive. He called it Hope Highway because the slowly zigzagging path had only one destination, Beacon Academy. The way up was filled with people bursting with excitement, hope, and various graduation fantasies. Even if everyone was in their own vehicle, one could still sense it in the air.

The only thing between Oakley and the highway was a bus stop. Parked there was a double-decker bus that took residents and tourists alike to and from Beacon Academy. Preparing to board the transport was Evelina Caeruleus-

Preparing to board the transport was Eve. Her turquoise hair was as hard to spell as it was to describe. Kind of like a blue sky on a clear day, but with a more vibrant touch. Surely one blessed with such incredible hair colour would spend hours daily working on it? Nope. It was in a ponytail. Her matching eyes scanned the street, but not carefully enough. Her hand fell on empty air, now lacking the purse she clutched moments before. Scampering footsteps went off to her right, but she was too shocked to act. She stood frozen as the thief made his way to a motorbike and started it up. A call to action shook her body and she finally reacted, chasing after him and yelling, "T-Thief!". It was too little too late, and in moments the thief was too far down the highway. She had no vehicle, and no way of chasing him in time.

"I got him!"

A helmeted man zipped past her on his own grey bike. He did everything in his power to gain ground on the thief, and that included swerving dangerously close between cars. The speed limit was forgotten as he used all of his driving skills to expertly traverse the urban environment. He spotted the thief about fifty meters ahead and made his way there, taking the same lane as him and approaching from behind. If the thief saw someone making their way to his position he might be inclined to flee. Oakley succeeded in taking a place in the lane beside the biker. He waved for his attention and lifted his own visor, revealing his violet eyes.

"Pull over!" Oakley bellowed over the buffeting wind. The thief, who bore no helmet and left his face bare, simply squinted at him through his glasses. Oakley pointed at the blue purse tucked into his jacket, showing his intention. The thief immediately pushed Oakley's bike away from his and sped forward. Oakley gasped and grabbed the handlebars with both hands, working to bring the wobbling bike back to stability. Face set with new determination, Oakley turned his wrist and revved the bike loudly, setting a course straight for the thief.

When Oakley pulled up beside the man, he swung out his arm frantically. Oakley lifted an arm and blocked the blow on his forearm. The two grabbled with an almost comically casual air. They both remained completely still except for one arm each, which fought for control. They were going too fast and approached the rear end of a semi truck. They split, each combatant going to a different side of the semi and speeding past it, only to group back up in front of it. Oakley surprised him with a punch across the jaw that hurt more than it should have. The thief didn't react, he even held his head to the same side it was knocked.

In a flash of silver, the thief stubbornly denied defeat. Cold steel sliced into Oakley's shoulder, cutting more than half his sleeve off with a strange metallic ring. Oakley grunted and pulled his bike away from the encounter. His ripped sleeve shook like a flag in the wind, that wouldn't do. In a single motion, he ripped most of it off and revealed his full arm.

From the other side of the multi-lane freeway, the thief returned. The cause of Oak's fashion dilemma was now revealed, a short sword akin to a machete. As he turned his bike and neared Oakley he let it grind against the freeway, releasing an intimidating shower of sparks. Like a diving hawk, the thief closed the distance and stabbed with killing intent. He didn't expect Oakley to grab the blade with his bare hands, bringing him to speak for the first time.

"What are you?!"

Oakley smiled. His right arm was entirely mechanical, mostly showing metal plates. At the wrist, shoulder, and elbow one could see between the plates and spot wires, springs, tubes filled with fluid, gears, and so much more they couldn't come close to describing. Its metallic fingers were wrapped around the machete blade.

In an incredible act of finesse, Oakley jumped. His handlebars remained firmly grasped in both hands, but his legs were in mid-air. He turned his body and sent an equally metallic foot into the thief's side. It knocked him off his bike and onto the pavement harshly. Without a rider, the bike wobbled before hitting its side and spinning across the freeway before coming to a halt against the guard rail.

The wheels cried out. Oakley struggled to keep a tight grip on the brakes. He slammed a foot down on the pavement and turned the bike sharply. Though the tires protested loudly and left parallel black streaks on the road, he succeeded in stopping. He quickly put his bike to the side and charged back down the road. The thief had reclaimed his footing somewhere along the line and was doing the same movement at Oakley. They met in the middle lane.

The thief opened with surprising amounts of skill. He kicked high on Oakley, making him block with his arms. He was no newbie, and didn't leave his leg high and susceptible to being grabbed. He brought it back and kicked again sharply. He repeated this in quick succession, gaining ground in every kick and pushing Oakley back.

A loud horn wailed on his ears and a rush of wind on his back reminded Oakley he was on a freeway. The van had only missed him by about a foot. Determined not to be pushed around in such a dangerous area, Oakley counterattacked fiercely. His martial skill, every ounce of knowledge he had ever learned in it, concentrated into his palms and he attacked with precision that was only matched by his might.

Oakley's robotic arm plunged into the man's gut. He tried to counter with a hook, mostly on instinct, but Oakley swept the arm out of the way and uppercut him with his other, human hand. Oakley's next few attacks were rushed and hurried, as he jumped over him and kicked, only to jump off of the block that was put up. While he was in the air, a honking truck sped underneath him. The top of the cab missed him by inches. The thief survived, barely rolling backwards in time.

The thief landed on all fours, panting. This definitely wasn't going the way he had planned. This stranger was strong, maybe even stronger than him. He couldn't last long on the freeway- there! A glint of light out of the corner of his eye. His discarded blade lay on the line between lanes. The only problem was it was so far ahead, he'd be panting by the time he got there. With one last look at his opponent, he reached out an arm and latched onto the bar of a passing truck. He clung to it tightly as it sped along, barely noticing its new passenger. With a growl, Oakley returned to his bike and used it to close the distance.

The thief jumped off the truck and landed in a roll. By the time he was back on his feet, he had snatched his blade. When Oakley found him again his was greeted by a heavy horizontal slash that he barely ducked under. The onslaught continued, and he found himself on the defensive in no time. When the thief slashed overhead, Oakley flicked his metal wrist. A pizza-shaped metal blade shot from his wrist and extended six inches past his fingertips. He clenched his fist and caught the blow on his new weapon. They danced with their blades, much more careful now. They never stood on anything but their toes. The ringing of metal became sporadic and burst-like, as if a child had dropped a fistful of cutlery. They both sharply abandoned the battle, knowingly. A car sped over their recent arena, which they returned to immediately after.

While there was still a distance between them, Oakley removed his helmet. He shook loose his blonde hair and it fell to his neck. In a strange act, he threw the helmet to the thief. He subconsciously reached upwards to catch it, realizing his mistake too late.

Oakley knocked the blade out of his hand with his own wrist blade. In the same motion, a thinner, rapier-like blade sprouted from his other palm and missed the man's neck, barely. It stuck through the back of his shirt and, using it, Oakley lifted him off the ground.

The thief struggled and tried to run, but to no avail. Even he realized his defeat was at hand. Oakley calmly took the purse from his jacket and inserted it into his own. He dropped the thief, retracting his rapier blade, and took his helmet back. He then proceeded to walk back to his bike as if nothing had happened.

His opponent was far from finished, not with a golden opportunity like this. While Oakley's back was turned, he reached into his boot and pulled out a knife barely bigger than a finger. He stalked behind his prey, quickly but quietly, and prepared to sink it in his back.

A gunshot rang through the street. Oakley had turned 180 and held out his hand in a finger gun. The tip of his index finger had a hole in the end and was smoking.

"You gotta be kidding..." The would-be thief looking down at his blood stained, gun-less hand. He swooned and stumbled before crumpling to the ground. Oakley dashed at him, but not to attack him.

"Keep your hand above your head." Oakley ripped off the rest of his sleeve and began to quickly but accurately wrap the thief's hand. "You'll bleed less and the wound will clot closed faster. I'm gonna tighten this to apply pressure, it might hurt."

"What the hell are you doing? You just shot me!" The thief demanded.

"If it swells, that's a sign of internal bleeding. You should see a hospital then." Oakley ignored him. With a grunt he tightened the wrap on the wound. "The bandage should last until the wound closes.".

"You're…" The thief lost the words, dumbstruck at the stranger's actions.

Oakley fitted his helmet on his head, kicked away the kickstand, and roared the engine. He would hate to be late for his first day.

As the academy came into view, Oakley had trouble focusing on the road. The grounds were simply breathtaking. The verdant green flora, spanning buildings, and stunning architecture all contributed to his awe. He approached it in no time, but didn't enter quite yet. He stopped at the bus stop; he still had that purse in his jacket. He pulled up beside it and lowered his kickstand.

"T-T-Thank you!" A voice stuttered while Oakley was taking off his helmet. When he could see again, he recognized the blue-haired girl from earlier.

"Oh, hello." Oakley smiled, reaching into his jacket and holding out the purse. "It was no problem, I actually had a lot of fun."

The woman said nothing. She stared at him with saucer eyes.

"Sorry, is there something wrong?"

"Oh. My. God." Oakley followed her eyes and saw them latched onto his robotic arm. In a blink's time she had crossed their separating distance and was inspecting every inch of his arm with her eyes and hands. "This is incredible! Who created this?! The coolant fluid weaved directly into the marrow core, brilliant! You can use your arm without it ever overheating! The touch sensory system is almost like the one I designed last year... but at least twice as accurate. It hooks into your flesh with... and inlaid network of artificial nerves!" The girl looked up to meet his eyes, finally, and seemed to catch herself. All at once she realized she was fondling a strangers arm. As soon as she had come, she zipped back a few meters.

"S-sorry..." She bowed her head. "You don't even know my n-name. I'm Evelina Caeruleus."

"Eve." Oakley shortened with a smile. "My name is Oakley Alfaro, I'm gonna be a student here at Beacon. What about you?" Despite her meek demeanor, Oakley spotted a large pistol at her hip.

"Yes! Although I prefer to _design_ weapons, I'm attending as a first year student." She answered without a stumble.

"Then let's walk together, the entrance ceremony shouldn't last long." Oakley hung his helmet on his motorcycle and removed the keys. After fishing around in the back, he found a long sleeved shirt to slip on to replace his ripped jacket. Eve seemed to be visibly deflated when he covered his arm.

"Are those... cabbages?" Oakley looked at the planters at Beacon to see that each one held a single, well maintained head of cabbage. He hesitantly reached out a finger to poke it and make sure this wasn't some kind of joke.

"HANDS OFF THE CABBAGES, LADDIE!" Oakley's trained reflexes were the only thing that pulled his finger away in time to save them from the shears that snapped shut a hair's breadth from his nail.

"What in the world?!" Oak exclaimed, stepping back. He now saw the culprit, a withered, hunched old man with a wispy beard and faded overalls.

"I saw ya! You were trying to steal my babies!" The groundskeeper squinted at him, shaking the rusty shears in his direction.

"H-He was simply curious!" Eve spoke up.

"Ignorant dunkelbumser!" He snapped, getting on his knees and carefully trimming wayward edges of the cabbage leaves. He managed to maintain the utmost focus on the task while continuing his speech. "Cabbage provides you with special cholesterol-lowering benefits! Our ancient ancestors originally believed that cabbages were gods and worshipped them as such! Cabbages prevent cancer! I bet you didn't know cabbages were the first spherical object!"

"I'll take your word for it, Mr...?"

"Sir Ernest Jenkins." He smiled broadly and bowed, which looked just plain creepy. For some reason they doubted that a crazy groundskeeper was knighted.

"My name is Oakley." The boy said as politely as he could, backing away slowly. The man went back to his cabbage pruning, allowing the pair to walk away.

"Y-you had a lot of patience for such a s-strange man." Eve smiled, still nervous.

Oakley was about to say something when a mic shrieked sharply. They were standing outside the main hall already.

"I'll keep this brief." A man said from the stage. He sported spectacles, a cane and grey hair, even though his face was far from aged.

"You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Oakley and Eve exchanged confused looks, unsure what to say.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight." A younger blonde lady said as she walked up to the mic. "Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

They walked off the stage together. Oakley barely heard their chatter.

"Now we have to deal with the groundskeeper, the fool is ripping out the flowers and putting in cabbages again!"

"Well you have to admit, the old man keeps the place interesting."

That night, in the gym, Oakley lost track of Eve. It was half on purpose, though. If any of his assumptions about her shy nature were true then he wouldn't want to be caught half naked around her, leaving alone the fact that she was in love with his right arm. He didn't dare wonder what she would do when she saw his metal leg...

Oakley settled in his provided sleeping bag in expensive, purple pajamas. That night, he slept peacefully. He dreamt that he was flying over the vast buildings and architecture of his home, Atlas.


	2. Vanna

**You came to see chapter two? That's great! It means that you liked Chapter One enough that you came back for more, which I can happily provide! Now that we are more acquainted and I know you're not just a passerby, a serious moment.**

 **Every word in this story is dedicated to Monty Oum. Monty, I didn't know much about you at the time of your death. Sadly, it was only after you passed that I started to become more interested in your work and more informed of your unique character. You were a brilliant man and an incredible human being.**

 **"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dream is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."**

"Would all first year students please report to the train station in South-West Vale," the loudspeaker buzzed. Vanna Lowell pulled out two knives from her locker and fit them into their sheaths behind her back. Knife was a modest word when describing them. They were the size of machetes, with a curve in them a little shallower than that of a boomerang. Kukri knives, she couldn't have possibly chosen a better weapon for her. The knives were made for chopping, but also found widespread use by hunters. She hoped to put them to use against Grimm today at the Beacon entrance exam. Which took place at... a train station? She pondered the thought as she left the school.

Vanna had never taken part in the exam, or even knew about past versions of it, but having it take place within the city seemed strange... The passing thought vanished soon. So what? It didn't matter where it took place. All that mattered was kicking some ass and matching up with an interesting partner.

Vanna stopped mid-step. Her brunette canine ears, invisible from certain angles within her thick brown hair, perked upwards. Sharp canines were revealed, but not bared as her lips slowly parted. Her yellow eyes followed a girl her age pass by her. For some reason, her very presence put her on edge.

She wore a green beret, silver glasses, a crop top and cargo pants. She bore a blank, but analytical look. When she passed Vanna, paying no attention to the wolf Faunus as she did so, Vanna finally solved the mystery. A spotted, furry tail casually swept back and forth behind her. If the woman had ears, they were probably hidden under the beret. A leopard Faunus. A snow leopard, to be specific.

After figuring out the funny smell that had put her on edge, Vanna felt a lot more at ease and kept walking towards the train station. Regardless, it didn't take long for her to be distracted. The sweeping tail of the woman just made her want to chase it. She didn't know what would happen if she caught it though. The blank look on the girl's face almost taunted Vanna, as if saying: "I know I'm driving you crazy, but I'm too high and mighty to look smug."

A slight breeze swept through the square, chilling Vanna. School began in fall, and soon it would be winter. It was still usually warm, but today was an exception. Sadly, Vanna's cloths showed quite a bit of skin... Short shorts left her legs bare, and a black leotard wasn't thick enough to warm her much, plus it was cut off at the shoulders. Luckily her vest, cut off at her chest, and gloves sprouted puffy white fur that helped keep those areas warm. The leopard girl was probably sitting pretty in those big cargo pants, Vanna thought with envy.

A crosswalk bottlenecked both of them into walking side by side. Vanna flushed, and forced her mouth to take in air instead of her nose. If she didn't she would probably tackle the poor girl. But deep down she knew she wouldn't be able to hold out long, the way the tail was swishing side to side seductively. Vanna's lips slowly curled into a smile, she had an idea that she found was genius. She would take her mind off the tail by talking to the girl! It would also be beneficial to Vanna to speak to other first year students going to Beacon.

How did Vanna know the tail-spouting temptress of a girl was a student? Well it was quite simple really. No, actually simple. The Faunus had followed Vanna every step of the way towards a strange area of the city. There was also the issue of the strange looking item stuck to her pants. It seemed to be little more than a collapsed version of a weapon. (Students rarely carried around heavy, disfigured bits of metal)

"Hey there!" Vanna smiled as she stopped in the path of the woman. She did a playful salute as she introduced, "I'm Vanna Lowell! And I'm..." She trailed off as the girl walked right past her without a hint of acknowledgment,

"HI! Hi! Hi. Hi..." As Vanna ran back to the girl, she slowly decreased her volume with every step. Vanna walked side by side with the leopard and tilted her heads towards the Faunus to check for any response. Her path didn't stray, her eye's didn't falter from the path ahead of her. Was she some kind of robot?

"Like I said, I'm Vanna! You must be a student, because of that weapon you have. Well I'm a student to! And I was wondering if you want to walk to the train station together?"

The eyes of her new friend stared at the path, an answer in itself.

"Oh yeah! I guess we will walk together no matter what..." Vanna realized, sheepishly poking her fingertips together. "Heh heh..."

Anaïse was the name of her victim, a fresh import from Atlas. The only thing going on in her head was predicting Vanna's reaction to any response from her. Would the wolf be encouraged? Or finally leave her alone? That was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

"Man, it sure is warm today!" Vanna held her hands behind her head, as if swept over by a wave of casualness. "You're probably wondering, 'Why is this kind and attractive girl warm? It's colder than an Atlas slushie here!' Well Iiiii'm from Vaccuo!" She stated the fact proudly, jabbing a thumb at her chin with a smile.

They walked for a little while, and Vanna's grin didn't falter.

"Hey are you cold? You can wear my gloves. Look, they're fuzzy!" Vanna held out her hands in case Anaïse was in doubt of their afore mentioned fuzziness. She, of course, received no response. "Don't want your hands to get cold and drop your weapon while fighting Grimm. Hiya!" Vanna chopped at the air in a goofy karate pose. They actually walked a few steps with neither or their upper halves moving. Anaïse looked at Vanna's silly pose with distaste, scowling. It was her first expression since Vanna had laid eyes on her.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

The train station was barely a train station at all. It was dilapidated and worn; clearly a train hadn't passed through for many years. Paint peeled off the walls, once-lit signs hung on by nothing but wires, and the floor sagged dangerously in places.

"This can't be the place!" Vanna stopped in the doorway, which she could not enter. The ground underneath it had actually collapsed, revealing what would have been blackness. That is, to a human. Vanna's sharp eyes could see the pitch black chamber fine. She guessed it was a basement, since she could see floorboards and there was an average amount of headroom. Her sense of adventure overtook her and she leapt down the rabbit hole to whatever lay before. With a scoff and a long eye roll, Anaïse followed her. When she landed, Vanna was nowhere to be seen.

Vanna darted through rooms and down hallways, exploring the new area. Everything was so old and interesting, with a blanket of dust over the whole place. She spotted old filing cabinets, office spaces, and even a repair room filled with parts. It was then that she was close enough to smell _it_ above the dust. It was a man, not a teenager. It had to be a teacher, or even the headmaster. She chased the scent onto an underground platform before skidding to a halt. There stood a line of students facing two teachers, and behind them, a wide, open subway tunnel.

"Are you Ozpin?" Vanna smiled a happy, toothy grin.

"Obviously not." A new voice shouldered past her. It was Vanna's nose that recognized it before her eyes. It was the girl that walked here with her! She finally spoke!

"Ah, Ms. Luma." A man with short black hair looked up from his scroll. "And Ms. Lowell. The last two of the first years, please take a place." He pointed in a sweeping gesture to the line of students. Vanna and Anaïse took their place, walking past the stranger line. There was one with a metal arm, another leaning on a sword the size of a grandfather clock, and a third that eyed her chest enough Vanna would have beat him if not in front of her hopeful headmaster.

"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today you will be evaluated here, underground." The male professorbegan. "These tunnels have an intricate network all on their own, but over years areas have collapsed and opened new caverns and tunnels."

Makes sense, Vanna figured. Keeps the students far out of the reach of citizens.

A female professor, a beautiful blonde sporting a tiara, took over the speech. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today. These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years."

The male pulled out his scroll and sorted through what seemed to be pictures as he spoke.

"You will each enter a cart and be sent to a random location, but each student will be an equal distance from the objective as all the others. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you may die. You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene."

Now Vanna was buzzing, a playground of an entrance exam! With plenty of opposition to keep her occupied!

"You will come to a central area of which each contains a relic. Your relic is actually a half, and it's your job to find its partner. Once together, the true relic will be revealed. You will guard this relic, as well as your standing, and we will grade you appropriately." The professor tucked his scroll into his back pocket and turned to the crowd. "Are there any questions?"

"No questions." A man in a cobalt vest spoke up. He pressed a button on his massive sword and it folded to the size of a mallet. "This _is_ what we've been training for after all."

"How true, Mr. Benitoite. I looked forward to watching your results, as with everyone else's. Please, take your seats."

Vanna made her way to a small cart with her name painted onto the back. Within was a basic seat that didn't look too comfortable. Regardless, she leapt inside and took her position.

"Good luck, all of you. Although I thoroughly hope luck won't be involved today." With a tap of the control panel, the carts shuddered to life. They began at a surprisingly fast pace, weaving past each other before each student set off down a different tunnel.


	3. Cave Chaos (Part 1)

**Sorry fam I was taking a 2-year long shower**

Oakley ran straight for the center, eager to meet the other contestants. His future partner was there, as well as any potential injured. It was his responsibility to help anyone who was hurt due to the exam, and he couldn't deny being at least a little excited about meeting his new teammates.

Vanna had lost all sense of actually being in a test and explored the cave with glee. That wasn't to say she wasn't doing phenomenally; any potential tracker need not have a nose of Vanna's level, but only follow the path of Grimm corpses.

Eve crept along the dark, quiet cavern. Maybe if she didn't make a sound she would make it without alerting any Grimm…

* * *

Gideon stood before several heaps of slowly dispersing Grimm corpses. Even as remaining chunks clung to his sword they were swept away before they could fall to the ground. With a wide, quick swing he flicked off remaining Grimm pieces and compacted it at once.

The fight had been boring to him, such so to the point where he wasn't sure if the instructors had even bothered to watch. The Grimm involved were textbook, their moves predictable, and their death swift. He had first studied a diagram of a Beowulf when he was five and killed one by thirteen, a pack of them at eighteen wasn't anything difficult.

He carried on with ease, a casual air born from confidence. He had enough faith in his instincts and reaction time that he believed it to be impossible for a Grimm to surprise him and injure him before he could stop it. It was because of this that he didn't slow his speed from caution. He simply ran towards the destination and waited to be attacked.

It didn't take long.

The cavern shook like it was going to collapse. Rocks fell from above, while larger stalactites shook and threatened to plummet. A continuous thunder came from the same source as the shaking. It was impossible to tell how far away it was. That is, until it broke through a wall of rock and almost impaled Gideon.

His sword had been readied long ago, now it deflected off the sharp tip of the beast and let Gideon roll off to the side. He returned to his feet and watched the beast, ready.

It was on all fours, with thick, powerful front legs which made it stand taller than Gideon. Its head sported the traditional white bone plates of the Grimm, except this one had two sharp, protruding horns sticking forth from it. The beast had recovered from the charge and was working on turning around to face Gideon. The hunter in training smiled, it was time to show off a bit and score some marks.

The beast scratched at the ground before heading off full blast at Gideon. His sword began to clank and groan as the parts shifted and transformed. His sword folded in upon itself until it was a long barrel, the handle and cross guard shaping into handles. When he was done, he was hanging onto a long barreled heavy cannon in two places.

Gideon fired twice at one of the beast's front legs. He doubted he'd be able to scratch the armored front, but his shot proved genius as the beast tumbled down, it's heavy head plowing the ground before coming to a halt. Its short feet flung around and scratched at the ground, desperately trying to get up. Gideon leapt on the opportunity, bounding along the side of the beast, his sword transforming mid run. He reached the belly of the beast and ran past, slicing every which way and earning a pained call from the beast. In pain, it twisted its body and managed to send its longest horn swinging at Gideon. He rolled, feeling the breeze as the horn barely missed him.

Gideon continued to run, down the tunnel and away from the beast. It found its feet eventually and chased off after him. The cavern shuttered with every footfall of the beast, which only increased in volume and intensity as the beast neared Gideon. With a mighty cry, the beast was finally close enough to rear his head and spear Gideon through the chest with its horn. The spike passed through harmlessly, Gideon's image disappearing with a wisp of smoke.

Gideon fell from above, his sword gripped with both hands and pointing downwards. He slammed it into the beast's neck, just behind the bony plate. It shrieked in pain and came to a halt. It whipped its head to shake off Gideon, but his grip was firm and his sword was deep. The beast's efforts slowed almost immediately until it stop moving all together. Eventually, the Grimm's legs gave out and it slammed into the ground.

Gideon pulled his sword free, leaping off the Grimm before it could even disintegrate.

* * *

Several professors watched the exams from a safe area within the train station basement. The room glowed blue from many digital screens, all focused on different students.

"Gideon Benitoite…" A tall male professor studied his screen carefully. "The exam doesn't seem to be testing him in the slightest."

"He's by and far the most promising of the upcoming first years." A shorter female noted. She wore a white dress and a tiara, a rather luxurious choice for the occasion.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Ms. Aurell." The male professor looked back to the third person in the room. He smiled, like an athlete looking upon a shelved trophy. "You've forgotten our special transfer student from Atlas."

The third person present, a student, looked like he was smelling something foul as he watched Gideon at work.

* * *

A scent! Vanna's excitement rose and she whirled around, chasing after her sudden lead. She had been so preoccupied she had almost forgot to find a partner! She only smelled one person, so this was her chance! She got closer and began to get a stronger hold on the scent.

Vanna burst around the corner, throwing her arms in the air like it was a surprise party. Gideon stood there, facing her with sword in hand.

Gideon looked her up and down, then nodded simply. He folded up his sword and stowed it away, turning and walking on.

"I'm excited to work with you too!" Vanna charged after him and tried to wrap her arms around him.

"No." A stuck out palm kept Vanna at a manageable distance. "No hugging."

* * *

"That Vanna Lowell doesn't seem to be taking this very seriously." Professor Aurell scrunched her face.

"I think your tiara's on too tight, Ms. Aurell." The taller male teacher joked. His partner professor shot him a look he seemed to ignore "She may seem to be playing, but I assure you she's attentive. She's tracking, using all her senses as she scouts about the area. I'm sure we will see her full competency very soon."

* * *

"Please, just leave me alone." Eve pleaded, cornered against a wall by other students.

"I'll leave you alone alright, if you give me your totem." A student snickered. "If we don't end up with one, we will be disqualified, and there's no more totems here."

"But if I give you my totem, I can't make it into Beacon!"

"That's the idea, sweet cheeks." The other chuckled, tossing a knife up and down in one hand. "You can't take us both on, so I don't really think you have a choice here."

A loud shot fired, echoing through the chamber. The trio stiffened, but none felt the sting of the bullet. A hand sharply grabbed the shirt of one, pulling him away only to sock him in the face. Seeing her opportunity, Eve used the distraction to kick the other in the stomach and put her back against the back of her savior.

"Good to see you Eve." Oakley smiled. He held his finger like it was a gun, but judging by the hole at the end of his fingertip it may have been just that.

"Thanks Oakley!" She smiled. Her hand flew to her side, and in an instant she wielded an oversized revolver, each round glowing a different color. The pair glared down the other two, who now had their weapons readied as well. One had a bow with a knocked arrow, and the other spun two daggers between his hands.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

The bowman moved first, firing a glowing arrow at the pair. Eve was spinning her cylinder before the arrow left the bow, landing on a pale green dust compartment. She fired, sending a blast of wind out that blew the arrow off course, clinking against the rock floor.

His partner followed, darting at Oakley and stabbing high and low, hoping to strike before Oakley prepared his weapons. Oakley responded by extending a blade from above his wrist. He blocked one blade with his own and simply caught the lower blade. His opponent looked at him in confusion, trying to push his lower blade further. Oakley smiled at his opponent's blunder, gripping the blade tighter and refusing him. Oakley threw off both blades, landing a quick kick against his foe's armored shins. His foot struck, denting them with a metallic crunch.

Eve and her opponent matched shots perfectly. He darted in and around stalactites firing off arrows in hopes that one would get through. Luckily, Eve's wind dust made quick work of most arrows. She aimed to knock another off its path and pulled the trigger, but it only summoned a quiet click. An arrow slammed into Eve's shoulder, making her grunt. Her aura made it bounce off harmlessly, but the force of it hurt like hell and it'd likely bruise. "Oakley, switch!" She called. Oakley obliged, turning and jumping over her crouched form.

Arrows continued to fly at Oakley, most of which he dodged. A couple landed on metallic bits of his body with sharp noises, and Oakley wasn't about to wait for one to find flesh. He approached a stalactite that the archer was using as cover, diving and sliding underneath the rock formation. He kicked the feet out from under his opponent, and was quick to pounce on him and kick the bow out of his hands.

Eve dueled the dagger-wielding man, diving and dodging around him. She tried to fire off when she could, but ended up spending most of her time dodging. She slid under his legs, spinning her cylinder as she did and landing on a glowing blue chamber. When she rose on the other side and the man stabbed at her, she separated a glowing blue tonfa clipped to the side of his gun and held it in her other hand. It blocked the knife, holding it there against its will. Ice quickly formed around the connection, freezing the knife to the tonfa. With a curse, her opponent ripped his knife free with a shatter of crystals, but not before Eve fired on both his feet.

With him secured, Eve made some distance between the two and set up in a firing stance. She held her gun with both hands and legs shoulder width apart as her opponent struggled against the ice climbing up his shins. She held the trigger, charging a shot, only to switch the canister mid shot. She continued this several times until the gun was fully charged. She fired, nearly knocking her over, and slammed a multi-colored blast into the dagger-wielding student. It knocked him out of his holdings, leaving him shaking on the ground as he burned, froze, and was shocked all at once.

"Clumsy things." Eve looked over to see Oakley kicking a broken bow off to the side. His chosen opponents lay in a heap off to the side. He made his way to Eve as she folded up her weapon, holstering it at her side

"Oakley!" Eve jumped him with a hug, surprising him beyond question. It wasn't a second later when Eve realized what she was doing and she leapt off him just as eagerly. Her face turned red as the dust in her pistol and she inched away from him slowly.

"Where's your partner?' Oakley tried to forget what just happened.

"I actually don't have a partner..." Eve muttered, still embarrassed, eyes downcast.

"Yes you do!" Oakley waved his real arm happily. "Because I don't have a partner either. Welcome to Team Oakley!"

"I don't think that's a good team name." Eve finally looked up at him now, managing a smile.

"Come on, let's take our totem to the next objective."

"Oh yeah! Here it is." Eve reached into her pocket and held out the totem. It was half of a small disc, with the word 'Roame' etched onto it.

* * *

"One of the last totems, finally retrieved." Professor Roame noted on a scroll.

"What do you think of half of your team, Mr. Roame?" Professor Aurell crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oakley is an interesting case; I've never seen anyone with bodily capabilities like his." With a wave of his hand, the video played back Oakley firing bullets from his fingers and catching blades bare handed. "I'm interested to get a chance to study him. And his partner Eve seems anxious, but clearly has the marksman and mechanical ability to earn her a spot in Beacon." Roame closed his scroll, putting it in his back pocket with a cheeky grin. "Your team had better watch out, Ms. Aurell."

* * *

"Wait." Vanna called out. Her partner froze, still as the rock formations that dotted the cave. Vanna took the time to tilt her head and sniff the air generously.

"What is it?" Gideon whispered.

"Grimm." With a sniff of confirmation, Vanna nodded. "Lots of Grimm. Or maybe one big one; I'm not sure but it's nearby."

"Well try to step cautiously…" Gideon advised. He wasn't confident in Vanna's ability to do that, for it was three times now he had to chase after her when she excitedly ran off. Attention span aside, her nose was proving itself an exceptional asset already.

Vanna tiptoed around a corner in the tunnel. She poked her head back and gave him a serious nod. Gideon held his breath and rounded the corner with her.

"Oh my god…"

The tunnel accessed a wide, large chamber with a low hanging ceiling, only about twenty feet tall for its size. Hundreds – no, thousands of giant bats, each the size of a man, hung from the ceiling. If Gideon reached his hand up, he would just be able to touch the head of the nearest bat Grimm. They wouldn't stand a chance against a swarm of this size, they'd be cut down like blades of grass versus a lawnmower.

Vanna crouched down, motioning for Gideon to do the same. Together, they crept along underneath the Grimm. Gideon wasn't sure before today how long he could hold his breath for, but in this moment he was painfully aware of just how short it was. Barely thirty seconds passed before his lungs began to tighten and complain, then he was forced to take the panicked breaths afterwards as quietly as possible. He could hear the bat Grimm breathing lazily in their sleep above him, taunting him as he struggled to hide his own. Vanna was an expert as well it seemed, and Gideon wasn't sure if she had taken another breath since their stealth mission began.

Gideon's eyes widened and his throat itched. He forced his mouth shut and slammed a hand over his lips in an attempt to stop the cough. His throat tightened and whined, begging for but a single cough. Vanna stared back at him with confusion at his delay. Sadly, there was no way he could hold it back forever. He hacked a dry cough into his palm, followed by several smaller coughs.

Vanna glared back at him with a burning stare, which he tried not to meet. Several of the gigantic bats hanging closed to him stirred. One even flexed his wings, making Gideon think he'd take off before he curled up again and went to sleep.

Vanna bared her sharp incisors for a moment in a silent growl of frustration. Was this really the time?! Despite being very short of breath and wheezing quietly for a minute afterwards, Gideon managed to continue along without another cough.

Vanna waved for his attention, pointing to a hole in the wall a short distance away. It was about four feet wide, big enough only to crawl through, and leaked light through it. He nodded at her and began to sneak towards it.

A small explosion sounded from the other side of the hole, followed by muffled human voices. Gideon didn't have time to curse.

The bats came to life with a deafening, uninterpretable cacophony of screeches and cries. They flapped their massive, leathery wings and fired off. Vanna and Gideon darted for the small opening. Vanna blinked out of his sight suddenly, only for her to appear in front of the opening, waving him forward.

The massive bats seemed too confused and panicked to target Gideon, but he was still in their way. One after another, their massive bodies slammed into Gideon. It happened in quick succession, with each one threatening to knock him off his feet. He put up his hands to defend himself, but the continuous pelting of leathery Grimm bodies prevented him from moving, let alone grabbing Harbinger to defend himself. With another hacking cough, Gideon's form flickered suddenly into semi-transparency. He rushed forward, the bats now going straight through his form, leaving only a wisps trail of smoke where they went through him. As Gideon neared the hole, his form flickered and began to solidify. A bat struck him with his wing instead of going through him, surprising him. He dived the last ten feet or so, sliding into the tunnel on his stomach with Vanna close behind. He clambered through the small tunnel, it's rough surface rubbing and scratching any skin that wasn't covered by his vest. He finally saw the light source and the end of the tunnel, pulling himself out of it and collapsing on the floor, gasping for breath. Vanna spilled out too, though she was on her feet and much brighter about the whole ordeal.

"Ha! That was awesome! There must have been a million bats in there!"

"Yeah…" With one final wheeze, Gideon seemed to have found his breath again. He rose to his full height for the first time in what seemed like hours. They found themselves facing a large, circular, raised platform with two pillars, one small and one much larger.

"Is this the totem?" Vanna asked, but Gideon didn't reply. He approached the small pillar, hand on Harbinger's handle. Its sides were slightly sloped, with the top being lopped off to make a flat surface holding half of a broken circle. Gideon grabbed the small, brass looking object without hesitation; though he half expected sirens or alarms to sound. Nothing did, it seemed, other than voices coming from behind them. Vanna and Gideon turned to see Oakley and Eve approaching them.

* * *

"It looks like you're up." The student spoke up, looking at the male professor.

"My team is complete before yours, ha!" Professor Roame looked to his female coworker with a wide grin, only for her to roll her eyes and look away. After her rejection, he left the room, leaving the other two alone.

"Well Mr. Einhardt, regulations for your particular case state that I am to pick your team for you. I would ask for your opinion, but I already believe I know which team you'll choose."

"Yes, ma'am. Oakley Alfaro's team." The pair watched on a screen as Oakley, Eve, Vanna, and Gideon approached the end of the exam together.

* * *

"A perfect fit." Eve observed as Oakley and Gideon fit their matching pieces together. It made a perfect circle, connecting the words "Railen Roame". Gideon looked between the now circular object and the larger pillar, which had a suspiciously sized circular indent on the front. Not wasting any time, Gideon placed the combined totem in its rightful place, where it stuck with a _click_. The pillar groaned with the grinding noise of stone over stone. It fell apart in four pieces, sinking into the floor to reveal… a person.

He was taller than all of them, with short black hair and khakis. He also had a button up shirt and tie and – were those converse?

"Greeting, students," He began, going through each of them and congratulating them by name. "I'd like to applaud each of you for completing the first section of the exam. You each displayed exceptional potential, already taking your first steps to becoming huntsman and huntresses. My name is Professor Railen Roame, and I will be your true totem."

 **If you have an OC and read this far, shoot me a PM. Long time no see y'all.**


	4. Cave Chaos (Part 2)

**5AM update? Screw it, why not.**

"Can you tell that one more time, Professor?" Oakley asked. The team was in full sprint. As they rounded a corner, Eve fired off her pistol to take down a lone Beowulf.

"Your mission is to escort me back to safety without a scratch." Professor Roame explained. "If at any point I feel it is necessary to interfere for the sake of my safety, you will all immediately fail." Gideon gripped the handle of Harbinger, which was tucked away in compact form for running.

"What about all the Grimm?" Gideon asked as Eve fired off on another. "There wasn't nearly this many on the way here.

"That question, I cannot answer I am afraid." Roame said cryptically.

"Smells like even more Grimm ahead!" Vanna reported, pulling out her knives. The group activated and readied their weapons, Oakley his wrist blades and Gideon his sword, since Eve had long readied Overdrive. A pack of Beowulf following their fallen comrades flowed into the chamber from side tunnels and around corners. Eve slowed her pace to be alongside the professor, while the other three shot forward.

Vanna leapt onto a sprinting Grimm, tackling it onto its back. She furiously stabbed into it with her knives until she was sure it was dead. On all fours, she leapt from it onto another running Grimm and took it down, slashing its eyes out and jumping onto a third Grimm before the second could fall.

Gideon swung around the massive weight of his sword, slamming Grimm corpses against the ground and usually breaking both. With a mighty grunt, he swung the sword in a wide arc, collecting three Grimm along the blade before slamming it into a stalagmite, bisecting all of them. He quickly transformed it back into its cannon form, firing off on approaching Grimm.

Oakley followed up behind the other two, using his finger guns to pick off any stragglers that got by. When one came too close, he reached back and slammed his fist into its chest, sinking his wrist blade deep inside it. He pulled it out, letting the Grimm slump to the ground.

"Alpha!" Eve called out, looking at it down the sights of her pistol. Beside her, Roame nodded. A Beowulf appeared, twice as tall as the rest and with thicker bone plates and longer spikes along his spine and arms. He roared, spurring the few remaining Grimm into a frenzy. With her pistol, Eve picked off the few remaining regular Grimm, freezing them solid. It left the other three team members standing around the lone towering Grimm.

"A hit from that is a death sentence." Vanna noted, gripping her knives tightly.

"We should focus on keeping it distracted to avoid that." Oakley suggested. He looked to Gideon. "You're the only one that can hit hard enough to take that thing down."

Gideon nodded slowly. He gripped the handle of Harbinger with both hands as it buckled and twisted, slowly forming into a large sword. They readied their weapons, standing still until the beast raised its arm for a strike.

"Go!"

Vanna dashed along its legs, slicing into its calf with both her knives. Oakley waved his hand, summoning a spray of red hot embers that flew forwards, landing on the Grimm's face. They burned brightly making it rear its head back and roar. Several burning dust shots fired into its chest, though it seemed to have little effect.

Gideon sprung forward, swinging his massive sword as if it were hollow. He finally reached the beast and slashed, sinking his sword into its collar. It stopped there though, and the beast looked far from finished. The Beowulf swung at Gideon, who was hanging from his sword. The huntsman in training made the decision to jump off, landing on the beast's head. The beasts fist landed, ripping Harbinger free and sending it skittering far along the ground. Gideon opted to slide down its furry back, hitting the ground in a roll.

"Gideon!" Eve unlatched her tonfa from her pistol and threw it to Gideon. It spun in the air, passing between the Grimm's legs before landing true in his palm. The red, glowing weapon felt warm to the touch. He had never fought with a tonfa before, but he was sure he'd manage. The ground shook, bringing Gideon back to attention as both Oakley and Vanna were thrown back.

Just as Gideon was creating a plan, Vanna appeared at his side, startling him. She held onto his shoulder as she swayed for a moment, finding her feet again.

"I didn't hit it hard enough, but if we could sink that wound a little deeper we might be able to finish it off." Gideon said. "Tell Oakley I can make a distraction, but it'll only work once."

Vanna nodded. After a breath, her weight was gone and she disappeared.

Gideon began to shout, banging the tonfa against stalactites and stalagmites to get the beast attention. He threw the red tonfa, which struck the beast's back with a small explosion of fire before spinning back into his hand, glowing considerably less now. He ducked behind a rocky outcrop as the beast turned on him. Quietly, Gideon prepared his semblance.

Gideon made no sound as he stepped out into view. He ran straight at the Grimm's legs, who lifted up a leg in preparation to stomp on him. As the beast stomped on Gideon, only for him to disappear at the last second in a wisp of smoke and reappear nearby. The beast made a noise of surprise, his foot stuck out and off balance as he tried to reposition on the huntsman. When it centered itself again and slammed its foot down, it missed again and Gideon reappeared in his original place.

Vanna cupped her hands together as Oakley ran at her. He jumped, landing a foot in her hands. Vanna grunted, it felt like lifting a fridge, but managed to throw her arms up and toss Oakley in the air. Before he landed, he held up a hand with parallel fingers. Each finger extended into a long, thin, rapier-like blade, side by side together. He landed on the beast's back, gripping onto the shaggy black fur to stay stable. With a yell, he plunged his hand deep into the wound Gideon had made. The beast screeched, beginning to shake and spasm. Oakley gritted his teeth and pushed in further until his arm was inside the beast up to his elbow.

Oakley's stomach churned suddenly as the beast began to fall. He held onto the fur for dear life as the massive beast toppled, landing with a sickening noise and nearly throwing Oakley. With a nauseating _squelch_ Oakley pulled out his arm from the wound of the now dead Beowulf.

"Well done, team." Roame complimented. "That was a good display of adaptability when your initial attack failed. Though leaving behind a quarter of your fighting strength was an interesting decision."

"If you got hurt, then it would all have been for nothing." Gideon had retrieved his sword and was in the process of collapsing it. "The mission is the ultimate priority."

"An interesting observation, Mr. Benitoite." Roame smiled. "Now, shall we continue?"

"We shall. Let's try and keep a good pace." Oakley retracted the last of his weapons and began to run alongside his team, further out of the tunnels. The tunnel they were following dipped down slightly at first, then sharply enough that they had to watch not to stumble. It eventually opened up into a cavern with an incredibly high ceiling and wide, circular walls.

"I remember this; we should be very close now!" Eve reported excitedly.

A high-pitched cry cut them off, echoing off the walls.

"That's a high pitch for a Grimm." Gideon frowned. "Likely a-"

"-Griffon." Vanna finished for him, her face darker than any of them had seen. "I hate Griffons."

Another call came from the unseen Grimm, it's multitude of echoes from every direction making it impossible to place it; let alone spotting its black feathers in the darkened chamber. Not even Vanna's night vision could see it approach.

With a rustle of feathers and a movement of air, Vanna was suddenly gone. The griffon gripped her by the shoulders, with only her dwindling aura preventing the sharp talons from piercing her skin. Her stomach pitched as the ground underneath her tilted and shrunk at nauseating rates. She thought about what would happen if she fell and landed on the rock floor, and was suddenly wishing the Grimm would grip her tighter. Instinctual fear was rising in Vanna's chest, making it all the harder to breath, let alone not hurl at the height she was at.

She managed to spot her team, mostly from their glowing dust weaponry in the dark chamber. They raced across the now-tiny ground, their necks craned upwards to track her flight path.

"I'll handle this." Gideon pulled out Harbinger, quickly transforming it into its cannon form.

"No way!" Oakley blocked him, placing a hand over the weapon. "If you miss you could hurt Vanna."

"Then I won't miss." Gideon shot back.

"No." Oakley said firmly. "There has to be another way. Eve, can you manage?"

"Not when it's moving as fast as it is." Eve was staring it down the sights of her pistol, her arm moving in tune with the beast's trail.

"Her semblance is teleportation, right?" Oakley asked. The teammates looked between each other.

"Vanna!" Oakley and the rest of the team sprinted to keep up with her. "Teleport!" The thought of her freefalling made her immediately reject that idea. In a state like this the chance she'd nail the execution was less than slim.

"I can't!" She cried back.

"You can do it!" Eve called up. "We will make sure you don't get hurt!"

The griffon angled its wings, sending them upwards suddenly. Vanna looked ahead and saw that it was making for a shaft that lead out of the cave and into the night sky outside. With a gulp she closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around her chest, and teleported.

She managed to teleport to about a hundred feet off the ground, at which point she began to freefall. The team began to shout desperate orders between each other, but Gideon was solving the problem already. He blasted the ground with Harbinger, sending him flying upwards in an arc. Once he left the ground he tucked it away in compact form. When he met Vanna in fetal position form, he wrapped his arms around her and caught her. He started to fall, but angled his body so he neared a rather tall stalagmite. The second his feet scraped against it, he kicked off it onto another. He used his athletic ability like this further to slow from his freefall speed and eventually come to a safe stop in front of the group. The moment they stopped, Vanna flopped herself out of his grip.

She landed on all fours, gripping the ground tightly as if it would let her float away otherwise. She took greedy breaths in an attempt to calm down, which didn't seem to be working, seen in her wide eyes and rapid heartbeat.

"Are you alright, Miss Lowell?" Roame's hand was on her back. She had almost forgot he was with them.

"I'm… fine." She gulped air between words. "I just… don't like flying. That's all."

"It is _cats_ that land on their feet, after all." Gideon retorted, earning a sharp glare from some.

"Come on, everything's fine now." Oakley helped her to her feet with Roame's help. Vanna cleaned her black outfit of the chalky dust, beginning to chuckle at the situation. Even though it was mostly a cover up of her lingering anxiety, she didn't want to slow down their mission.

"I've always been jealous of the cats for that." Vanna chuckled, finally replying to Gideon's comment.

"No time to waste, we are near the exit." Oakley urged. The team agreed, and made quick pace to complete the exam.

* * *

The crowd clapped eagerly as the previous team exited the stage. They quieted as four new students approached.

"Vanna Lowell. Eve Caeruleus. Gideon Benitoite. Oakley Alfaro." Professor Roame beamed in pride, standing beside Ozpin as he called out the team members. "You have gathered under the mentorship of the esteemed Professor Roame. Together, you will be known as Team Vertigo, lead by Oakley Alfaro. Congratulations."

Pride swelled in Oakley's chest. Vanna cheered, Eve wrapped her arms around him, and Gideon even smiled, nodding in recognition at him.

"However." The team froze as Ozpin paused to sip from his mug. "Your team has the fortune to be granted an exceptional additional member. You will be training and fighting alongside the best of Atlas academy, a transfer student. A certain Jericho Einhardt." Upon hearing the name, Oakley's eyebrows shot up.

A man walked out on stage, a little older than them with scruffy brown hair and unshaven stubble. He wore a brown bomber jacket over a white shirt, and a white short sword hung from his belt. His winter blue eyes were barely open with heavy bags underneath them, as if he had pulled an all-nighter and was about to pass out at any second. He looked lazily over his team until Ozpin motioned for him to join them. He walked towards them, but stopped before Oakley.

"Hello, old friend." Jericho smiled, though it looked like it had weights attached to it dragging it down.

"What are you doing here, Jericho?" Oakley asked with a frown.

"Following you." Jericho took a place beside him. "Teammates again, just like old times."

"And now, I can fully christen you all Team Vertigo. Congratulations." Ozpin finished. Together, the new Team Vertigo walked off stage.

"Welcome to the team, Jericho." Vanna smiled a toothy grin.

"Welcome." Gideon nodded at him.

"Are you an old friend of Oakley's?" Eve asked.

"I guess you could say that." Oakley blinked. "It's… good to see you again."

"You don't seem very excited to see me." Jericho frowned.

"Just surprised, that's all. I didn't think we'd be seeing each other again." Oakley admitted. "Regardless, welcome to the team Jericho."

They returned to their room with Jericho and Oakley trying to make mild chatter between each other. They hadn't seen each other in about a year, and were both on a team together in Atlas last year. That was all the team could gather about their past together, though.

Eventually they made it to their room finding it to only have four beds. Jericho said that he'd bite the bullet and sleep on the floor, since he was the odd one out. He found a sleeping bag in the closet and placed it on the floor between two beds.

"Jericho, can I talk to you?" Oakley asked before either of them got the chance to go to bed.

"Sure, let's head outside." Jericho said.

"No, here." Oakley gulped, looking at the others making their beds. "There's nothing to hide, we are your team."

Jericho sighed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"How did you end up in Beacon?"

Jericho rubbed his eyes in preparation. "After the…" he eyed Gideon, " _incident_ , I was in the hospital for a long time. Eventually I was able to move home, but you know my family. I didn't end up doing much else than when I was in the hospital, sleeping, eating, lying in bed, recovering. Eventually, my parents tell me you're gonna be heading to Beacon and I nearly spit out my medicine. I get into contact with Railen and get him to pull some strings until I could be here, just in time for the first day." The rest of the team had stopped their tasks, only to hastily continue, (badly) pretending not eavesdrop.

"And why'd you want to follow me so bad?" Oakley raised an eyebrow. He'd never seen Jericho motivated about anything in a long time, and he had a hard time believing that he was inspired enough to arrange entrance to Beacon.

Jericho glanced again to the rest of the team, who were fluffing their pillows for the third time in a row and _definitely_ not listening in. "After the… _incident_ , you're all I've got. I trust you more than anything, even myself. If you think Beacon's a good idea, then that's the best shot I've got."

Oakley was left aghast, hardly believing the words coming out of Jericho's mouth. Ever since his injury he had been a mumbling lethargic mess, and to see him suddenly come forth with such genuine feelings made Oakley feel bad for ever doubting him. A sense of responsibility began to wash over him, he was the reason Jericho came here and he needed to make sure he had a positive experience. He noticed Jericho was looking at him, waiting for a response to his answer.

"I appreciate that, Jericho." Oakley slammed a metal hand onto his shoulder, making Jericho wince. "It's good to see you again, and to have you back."

Jericho gulped, returning the gesture. He wasn't sure if he could fulfill Oakley's expectations, because the Jericho Oakley remembered sure as hell wasn't present, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever be "all there" again.

"Good to be back," he said anyway.


	5. Jericho, a sad, sad, boy

Oakley woke up with a yawn. The team was home late after the entrance exam and ceremony was over. They didn't even move into their room, simply throwing all of their luggage on the ground before falling asleep.

Oakley looked over. Jericho was curled up in his sleeping bag and Vanna was sleeping in a ball on her bed. Gideon was awake, reading through a textbook already. Eve's bed was absent, though.

With a grunt, Oakley rose and placed his feet on the ground. He rose up, only to immediately tip over with the sound of falling tools. Vanna shot awake, ears alert, only to see what had happened and fall back into her bed. Jericho barely stirred. Oakley rubbed the shoulder he had landed on, what the hell happened? He looked down at his feet - foot actually.

His mechanical leg was gone.

"EVE!" Oakley lifted himself up using a bedpost. He hopped along threateningly to the common area. "Eve give me back my leg!"

"I'm sorry!" Eve apologized furiously, trying to clean up her work are as Oakley approached on one foot. He saw a spread of tools and bits, and most of all his leg, all laid out over a blue sheet.

"Wait…" Oakley spotted several important missing pieces of his leg. "You took me apart?"

"I said I was sorry!" Eve worked faster, looking on the verge of embarrassed tears. "It's just so incredible! I had to study the design, it's absolutely genius! The frame alone is nothing I could have ever come up with on my own!"

"Don't worry too much about it, just please have it ready soon please." Oakley sighed. He held onto the walls and hobbled back into the sleeping area. Vanna was awake now, her hair in a mild mane as she made her way to the bathrooms. Oakley made his way to Jericho, squatting down on one leg and giving him a good shake. "Up and at 'em." Jericho made a noise of disapproval, waving Oakley away with a hand. "Fine, miss your first class then."

"Here it is! I'm sorry!" Eve came around the corner holding Oakley's leg with both hands. She knelt down beside him and connected it to his hip immediately, something that usually took a minute of fumbling for him to do. Oakley winced at the unfamiliar, near nauseous feeling. He could describe it as a limb, fallen asleep, finally coming back awake with a tingling sensation, only much more intense and across his whole leg. Oakley gave it an experimental motion, only to find strangely smooth movement. An old friction on the rear of his leg that used to grind lightly was gone, giving him a strange feeling of lightness.

"Eve, what did you do?" Oakley asked incredulously.

"Oh, I just cleaned the joints. Gave them a good polish and topped off the grease tubes. Buffed the hip to its original shape too, the design doesn't accommodate enough stress there and it has warped slightly over time. Nothing at all really, since I didn't have much time…" Eve's words trailed off into a light blush across her cheeks.

"Well whatever you did… thanks!" Oakley smiled genuinely, still swinging his leg around with happiness. It was like an old pain or sore joint that was suddenly cured. Oakley moved onto the kitchen with plans to make food for everyone, only to find Vanna already there. She was absorbed in her task of frying an entire pound of bacon, still wearing mostly a t-shirt. "Hey Vanna, thanks for starting on breakfast for everyone."

"Everyone?" Vanna looked crestfallen, puppy dog eyes starting to form.

"Uh, yeah… But we will have pancakes too!"

"Alright…" Vanna sighed, her shoulders dropping.

Gideon entered the kitchen in full Beacon uniform, throwing a single toast in the toaster.

"Someone's ready early." Oakley said.

"Yes, I plan to get there early and take some preliminary notes, as well as meet the professor."

"Oh…" Oakley stopped his task, mixing pancake mix. "I just thought we could go to class together, since it's our first day."

"You're not eating with us either?" Vanna eyed the toast as it popped upwards, crispy brown.

"Sorry, no time." Gideon grabbed the slice and left the kitchen without further explanation. He closed the door behind him, making his way quickly down the hallway and into the open main court of the school. He quickly found a marble pillar and leaned against it, grabbing a small box from his pocket and pulling out a single cigarette. He stuck it between his lips and lit it, taking a breath of smoke for the first time in what seemed like ages. He closed his eyes and inhaled fully, holding it in his lungs to savor it before letting it out slowly.

Back in the dorm, breakfast was served. Eve and Vanna dug in happily, especially Vanna, who ate curiously fast despite an apparent lack of cutlery. Oakley stuck his head into the sleeping area and found Jericho still curled up in his bed.

"Jericho, breakfast is served."

"I'll take it cold…" Jericho grumbled. He pulled a pillow to cover his head, denying any further conversation. Oakley shook his head and went to sit at the table.

"Eve, could you do me a favor?" Oakley asked her, to which she nodded eagerly. "Could you use your semblance on Jericho? I'm just worried about him is all."

"Of course!" Eve wiped her hands and mouth before making her way to the living room. Jericho snored now, letting her sneak up on him. She tapped the back of his hand, which immediately spawned a green symbol on the back of his hand, Eve's symbol. She tiptoed away now, back to the kitchen. "Now we'll know if he goes to second period, since none of us have it with him."

* * *

"Never will you find a more important material than Dust." Professor Aurell strutted across the front of her classroom. Her long blond hair flowed behind her, trailing just behind her white dress. "Dust supports us. Dust defends us. Dust defines us. It is the only thing between us and the jaws of the creatures of Grimm. Without Dust, we would be nothing more than its namesake. This class is about the saviour of humanity, and the weapon of choice for Huntsmen and Huntresses across Remnant. Dust."

Eve took rapid notes, making clear, readable marks on the page. Vanna took notes as well, but fell behind and often took breaks to doodle. Oakley and Gideon listened, though the first much more intently. Jericho was noticeably absent.

Near Team Vertigo, two male students snickered. They made obscene gestures and made careful, continuous note of Professor Aurell's breast size. Despite her back being turned, the professor's face darkened.

"Catch!" She called suddenly, throwing out an object at one of the offending students. He caught it with surprising ease. A smile growing on his face, thinking he had fooled the professor. He looked at it in his hand, a red dust crystal. "Sir, I feel the need to note that you're holding a level three dust crystal, highly unstable and likely to detonate if you so much as apply too much heat to it through your skin." The student's expression dropped to horror, and he quickly tossed the crystal to his friend, who tossed it back with equal horror. "I might add, it's likely to explode if dropped."

The students looked ready to weep tossing it back and forth with horror. One of them fumbled it, and they grabbed at it rapidly. It fumbled around his hands until he gave up, diving under his desk, followed by his friend. The dust crystal landed on his desk, rocking slightly before coming to rest. The professor made her way down the walkway until she stood over the two students, still under their desks.

"Dust isn't graded on a system of levels. This is harmless." She picked it up in her hand, banging it against the table to prove her point. The other students began to giggle and chuckle at the foolish pair who were being made an example of. "Now, get back in your desks and pay attention. Can anyone tell me what makes certain dust crystals unstable?"

Eve's hand shot up.

* * *

"You've been sent out to defend a remote village from troublesome Grimm, alone. You meet a supply caravan on the road just before the town, and you're set upon by Grimm. During the battle, some Grimm break off and attack the village." Professor Roame walked as he spoke, comfortable walking right up to students or even sitting on their desks. He stopped before Team Vertigo. "Mr. Benitoite, I've heard you're quite the aspiring hunter. What would you do?"

"What type of Grimm is it?" Gideon shot back.

Roame lowered his gaze. "Boarbatusk."

"I stay with the caravan and defend it from the Grimm." Gideon assured confidently.

"Truly? You wouldn't be sent out here if the village was capable of defending itself. You'd defend wooden carts while Grimm slaughter defenseless people?"

"You said it was a _remote_ village." Gideon began his rebuttal. The professor's gaze darkened with every word from him. "The supply caravan is likely the first in weeks, with essential supplies for the village. Boarbatusk aren't nearly as deadly to people as they are to property, with their signature roll. They'll cause a panic, but likely not injure anyone. I'll defend the caravan, then clear the town. Houses can be rebuilt, but water can't be drawn back once spilled, and food can't be saved once crushed underfoot."

The professor glared him down darkly, looking almost ready to strike him. Gideon, for his credit, didn't so much as flinch. He looked back at the professor with full confidence. Suddenly, Roame straightened and a smile broke out across his face. "Excellent Mr. Benitoite. Tactics are all about decisions, students, and not everyone will like yours. You'll have to stand up to those who doubt you, even if it's me, and have confidence in your decisions. And that goes double for team leaders."

The lecture continued like this for the hour, filled with student participation and intermingling. He even went so far once as to sit in an empty chair and speak to an adjacent student on their level. About halfway in, he reprimanded Eve for taking notes, declaring she'd learn nothing from the class like that. He dismissed the class slightly early, calling out for Team Vertigo to meet him after class. When the other students left with glee at their extended break, Team Vertigo gathered around him at the front. The young professor sat at his desk, excitedly looking upon his assigned team.

"Well? How was my teams first day?"

"This is only the third class, but not bad so far." Eve tried to look as excited as Professor Roame about it.

Roame looked between them and seemed to count for a moment. His expression dropped. "Where is Jer-Mr. Einhardt?"

Oakley looked to Eve with a smile. She closed her eyes and focused. As she did, the back of her hand glimmered a faint afterimage of the mark currently branded on Jericho. "He's… still in bed." The five of them collectively sighed.

"That boy…" Roame grumbled. "After all the paperwork I did to help get him here, too. Well, I won't hold you for very long – I wouldn't want to infringe on your lunch time. Please, if you have any needs…" He pulled out his scroll and pressed the center, emitting a ding from each student's scroll as they connected. "Contact me. You are dismissed."

* * *

"Jericho." Oakley called out into his dorm with patience, despite how strained that patience would be on any other person. He heard stirring from the beds. "Jericho," he repeated.

"Wha?" Jericho sat up in bed, half dressed.

"It's noon. Get dressed." Oakley flung off his sheet, making Jericho's face redden and his jaw tighten. "You missed three classes today."

"It's fine, I'll just go over the notes on my scroll." Jericho climbed out of bed, immediately turning his body away from Oakley.

Oakley frowned, noticing his shirtless teammate had his left pectoral wrapped in bandages. "Is that where Finn hit you? Why is it wrapped?"

"It's not healed yet." Jericho shot back in defense. With a huff, he began to climb out of bed.

"That was almost a year ago, it doesn't need to be wrapped anymore for any reason." Oakley educated him with slow confidence. "I was there, Jericho. I was the one who wrapped you up in the first place, why wrap it up again?"

"Why don't you keep your nose out of my business?" Jericho growled, throwing a pillow at Oakley and trudging over to the pile of luggage.

"Jericho," Oakley's tone was one of hurt, making his old teammate freeze while going through his suitcase. "This is my business. I put pressure on that wound while you bled out. I dragged you out of that forest. And damn it, I have a medical license. Why are you still wrapping that wound, and acting so strange?"

Jericho sighed, slipping a white shirt over his chest. The moment it was on in full, he seemed much more comfortable. "It opens up sometimes in training. I don't want some blood staining my uniform." Oakley nodded along. It was a blatant lie, his wound was likely entirely healed and scarred over, reopening like that only occurred during the healing process. But Oakley knew he wouldn't gain anything by forcing it out of him.

"Come on, it's lunch and the team is waiting."

"I still haven't eaten breakfast." Jericho's stomach growled as his eyes wandered to the cold pancakes and bacon sitting out on the table.

"No time for that now, come on." Jericho wasn't finished tying his tie when Oakley began to drag him along.

"What about my weapon?" Jericho demanded, reaching out to his sheathed sword on the countertop.

"We were assigned lockers in second class, which you missed. I can take you to do it tonight." With a defeated sigh, Jericho left it behind. They made their way down to the cafeteria, Jericho trying to flatten and tame his hair along the way, even taking a quick sniff of his armpit.

They entered the large room and were immediately waved down by Vanna. Oakley sat by Eve and Gideon, while Jericho sat on the other side of the table with Vanna.

"Good to see you up!" Vanna said genuinely. Jericho only rubbed his hair with a groan.

"We got you guys food." Eve pushed two trays their way, which Oakley immediately thanked her for. Jericho mumbled a thank you, beginning to eat with a hung head.

"What time did you wake up?" Gideon asked sharply. Jericho stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth.

"I dunno." He answered simply, finishing the bite.

"Well how long ago was it? Just recently, or have you been up awhile?" Gideon pressed his interrogation, making other members of the group look between each other.

"I don't really think it's important." Jericho grumbled, not even pausing his eating this time.

"I think it's important if a member of my team can't even be bothered to get up on his first day of classes." Gideon's words slashed across the table. The team froze, but he continued. "Professor Roame seemed pretty impressed by you, today and back at the ceremony. Frankly, I don't see it."

"Frankly, I don't care if you see it." Jericho said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"That's enough out of two." Oakley used a stern tone, but remained calm. "Jericho, Gideon has a point, but we aren't your parents. And Gideon…" Oakley moved his entire body to face the cobalt-haired student. "You may have scored the highest at the entrance exam, but Jericho and I have already attended a school in Atlas, where Jericho was undisputedly the strongest of all first years." Vanna and Eve looked at the tired, shaggy-looking Jericho trying to poke peas with his fork, he who slept in his first day, and tried to imagine him as the number one student.

"And why are you here? Why didn't you finish your year at Atlas?" Gideon's eyes fell to Jericho. "Sleep through enough lectures that they kicked you out?"

"That's enough, Gideon." Oakley said firmly, silencing the student.

Gideon finished his food, stacking the garbage on his tray and rising from the table. "I haven't said anything that isn't true. Just try to act like you want to be here." He disposed of his tray and didn't come back, walking away while pulling a small box from his jacket.

"Not hungry anymore." Jericho made an excuse before he could be questioned. He pushed his tray forward and made to leave. "Heading to the room." Oakley frowned at him, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I'll come with you!" Vanna hurried to clean up her lunch. Jericho made no objection, and she followed along after him. They made their way across the campus and into the dormitory area of Beacon. "Sorry about Gideon, I don't know what he was so worked up about." Vanna walked casually, hands swinging playfully.

"He wasn't lying, Vanna. Gideon's right." Jericho lowered his head.

"Nah." Vanna waved him off. "I get it, sometimes when you're laying the right way… then the sun comes in and warms you right up… you just can't get up." Vanna yawned and looked ready to sleep right there.

"I just wish he wasn't such an ass about it." Jericho held his scroll against the doorknob, which lit up green and opened.

"From what I hear, Gideon should watch himself. Apparently you were quite the big shot at Atlas." Vanna held an imaginary sword with both hands, slicing at air and making battle sound effects.

" _Was_." Jericho emphasized. He grabbed his short sword and attached the multitude of belts around his waist. "It's been awhile since I was anything to anyone."

"Oh, you still have your weapon! I can take you down to the lockers to put it away." Vanna said.

"What if I need it later on?"

"Oh its awesome, it uses rockets to blast off and crash right at your location!"


End file.
